NICOLA Sturgeon ended the most momentous week of her career today by addressing more than 10,000 SNP members at a spectacular rally.

Scotland’s new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon followed in the footsteps of Beyonce and Lady Gaga by appearing at the SSE Hydro arena in Glasgow, which usually stages gigs by rock stars like Kylie Minogue.

And welcoming thousands of new members to the SNP, Sturgeon told the crowd: “Democracy rocks.”

She said: “Democracy won the referendum. And so did Scotland.

“The people took control of our future and they do not want to give it back. The desire to see positive change and social justice now burns across this country.

“By its own passion and belief in itself, this ancient nation has been made young again. And nowhere - nowhere - is that growth in confidence, that desire for change, reflected more than in the membership of our party.”

Nicola high-fives member of audience at packed rally in Glasgow

Sturgeon told the crowd that the SNP’s membership had risen from 25,000 at the time of the referendum to more than 92,000.

And she said the SNP could team up with parties such as Plaid Cymru and the Greens at Westminster to build a new alliance in a bid to bring an end to the "austerity economics" pursued by the major parties there..

Nicola Sturgeon , who was formally sworn in to the top job in Scottish politics on Thursday, revealed her party would "seek to build alliances with progressive forces across these islands" if there is a hung parliament after next May's general election.

The SNP has already set itself the target of winning the majority of Scottish MPs - which would almost certainly reduce Ed Miliband's chances of becoming the next prime minister.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The old Westminster system doesn't work for Scotland, we know that all too well.

Nicola addresses packed SSE Hydro

"But you know what, it doesn't work for many other parties other UK either. So when we send a strong team of SNP MPs to Westminster, we will seek to build alliances with progressive forces across these islands."

She stated: "My aim is that the SNP wins the general election in Scotland, and there is every prospect of a hung parliament at Westminster.

"The SNP would never act to put the Tories in power. In these circumstances, our constructive approach is that the SNP will seek common cause in a balanced parliament with progressive forces across the regions of England, Wales and Northern Ireland to rebalance the UK in political and economic terms.

Nicola Sturgeon is formally sworn in as Scotland's first minister (Image: GETTY)

"In turn, we can build wider support for some of Scotland's priorities - such as achieving the powers we were promised by the No campaign, and preventing a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons being dumped on the Clyde."

She added: "That is the outward-looking, forward-looking perspective we will bring to the general election campaign - which I believe will carry huge support inScotland, and be welcomed by most people south of the border too."

She highlighted the possibility of SNP MPs working with Welsh nationalists in Plaid Cymru and the Green Party at Westminster.

With both these parties led by women - Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru and Natalie Bennett for the Greens - Ms Sturgeon said: "Westminster be warned, the age of female politics is here and it's not going away."

Question -1 of 5Score -0 of 0

Which Westminster leader has vowed to stand by his promise to the Scots to keep the Barnett formula?